Coletti came home Tuesday and learned the next day about the run, organized as a tribute to the three people killed and more than 170 injured in the Boston bombings.

At the last minute, her friends, including some who ran with her in Boston, persuaded her to join in.

"Every day has been a healing process," said Coletti, 45. "But being here tonight and seeing so much support is amazing. I'm thankful I came."

Zach Wiens and Jon Bero, board members of the Portland Triathlon Club, said they were expecting turnout in the double digits when they created a Facebook page Monday night promoting the run.

By Wednesday, the page had more than 700 people interested. Bero estimated nearly 1,000 people ran in the loop that went from the East Bank Esplanade, across the Steel Bridge, along Tom McCall Waterfront Park and across the Hawthorne Bridge to their starting point.

Wiens and Bero led the pack, with Wiens waving an American flag. They greeted other participants with cheers and high fives as they finished.

"I hope in some way that the people of Boston, organizers of the Boston Marathon and the victims and people who had to suffer through this find some sort of hope and healing,” said Bero, 42, “that people across the entire nation are thinking about them and that there is a lot of love that's out there."

Joe Murphy, 42, said the Portland run reaffirmed his wish to return to Boston next year and run the marathon for a fourth time.

Murphy admits that the return trip would be difficult. He was in the lobby of his Boston hotel about a block from the finish line Monday when the explosions hit.

He helped convince Coletti to run with him on Wednesday.

"This was a really devastating event that has touched everyone," said Murphy, of Portland. "But it's important to be here to show that you can still run and not let who ever committed those acts in Boston win."